Do you Have a Strategy for Online Backup?

Online Backup is one of the more popular deployments of cloud computing. Online backup can be a cost effective part of your data protection strategy. Many businesses have achieved benefits by leveraging cloud computing for secure and affordable remote data storage and cloud file sharing technologies. In some cases, business owners do not even realize they are using Cloud Based Online Backup services. For business owners there are a number of important considerations for your Online backup strategy.

Industry and Regulatory Compliance

Some industries, such as health services, have strict regulations on how data is managed and protected. Some online backup vendors comply with these strict requirements, while others do not. It is important to carefully select your online backup supplier and ensure their Service Level Agreements (SLA) meets your business needs and comply with your industry regulations.

Online Backup Recovery Time

Online backup can be a secure and affordable option for offsite data storage and cloud sharing capability. If you are considering remote backup for your business continuity and disaster recovery plans, it is important to consider recovery times in the event you need to to restore your data. Some online backup services provide great value for easy access to data, while other services are optimized for rapid recovery of your most critical information. You should weigh costs and risks when deploying online backup for your disaster recovery scenarios.

How Secure is Your Online Backup

There are many online backup vendors providing a secure solution that is equally or more reliable that tape storage or other data vaulting solutions. In fact, the cloud infrastructure for your data may be more secure than your on premise data storage given the physical security capabilities of a top tier data center. One risk to consider is access to your company data through cloud sharing/cloud synching technologies. Cloud sharing can provide easy access to your company data from a variety of devices including smartphones and tablets. If you are leveraging online backup for cloud sharing, it is important to have a mobile security plan in place to ensure secure access to your company data.

There are a variety of issues to consider for your cloud based online backup strategy. If you feel you are not taking advantage of cloud computing for remote backup or you are concerned about security and compliance risks, it is recommended you contact your IT Service and Computer Support consultant for a review of your online backup strategy.